


And The Off-Notes

by voleuse



Category: Battlestar Galactica
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-04-12
Updated: 2005-04-12
Packaged: 2017-10-04 12:26:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voleuse/pseuds/voleuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>Deep sounds in the cusp and shift.</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	And The Off-Notes

**Author's Note:**

> Pre-series. Title and summary taken from _Ornette Coleman and Thelonious Monk at Dinner_ by Elizabeth Alexander.

The first time Helo falls in love with Sharon is in a bar.

Specifically, he's having drinks with a few pilots, and somebody points out the rook who just walked into the bar.

She's slim, small. Very alone.

"Who is she?" he asks, her name lost in the din of the room.

"Sharon Valerii," they repeat. "Flies one of the Raptors."

"Really?" He looks at her again. It shouldn't make a difference, but she seems too small to handle the heavy craft. "I didn't hear about a new pilot."

Somebody makes a joke about his love life, somebody else makes a joke about how he just runs frakking comms, anyway, but he doesn't pay attention, because Sharon's been cornered against the wall by two guys.

She's not in trouble, not yet, but the guys look drunk, and they're big, and Helo's out of his seat and halfway across the floor before he's even aware of it.

By the time he reaches her, though, one of the guys is on the floor, whimpering and cradling his groin. The other one is slammed face-first against the wall, his arm twisted behind his back like a pretzel.

Sharon Valerii jerks her head, looks at him, and he takes a step back.

"Friends of yours?" She twists the guy's arm a little more. The bone creaks.

Helo shakes his head. "Just thought I'd lend you a hand."

She sneers. "Does it look like I need one?"

"No." He grins. "But it's polite to offer."

She rolls her eyes, lets the guy go, and waves at the glowering bartender. "Thanks."

Helo extends his hand. "I'm Karl. Helo."

"Military?" She shakes his hand. "Me, too."

"I know." At her look, he shrugs. "Word gets around."

She scans the bar, spots the pilots in the back. Starbuck gives them a thumbs-up. "I see." She turns her gaze back to him. "You're a pilot?"

"ECO. In training." He catches a waitress' arm, orders another round. "Hey, you want to join us? I'll introduce you."

She hesitates.

"Sorry." He looks around the bar. "Were you meeting someone else?"

"No." She shrugs. "Just wanted a drink."

He dips his head, catches her eye. "Come on."

"Well." She looks at the pilots again. "All right."

He starts to lead her back, but she grabs his elbow.

"I'm not going to sleep with you."

Helo freezes, then raises his hands. "Last thing on my mind, I swear."

She narrows her eyes. "Right." They face each other for another moment, then she rolls her eyes, again. "Fine." She spins, walks to the table, leaving him to follow at her heels.

For a second, he just watches her, the swing of her hair and the sway of her hips, then he sets his jaw. "Well, it _was_," he mumbles.

Then she looks over her shoulder, gives him the same look she gave the guys currently nursing their wounds by the door.

He leaps forward, joins her to stand by the table, and hands her a full mug.

"Everybody," he announces, "meet our newest pilot." He raises his drink, now room temperature, and toasts. "To rooks."

Sharon elbows him in the side and takes his chair.

So he orders another round.


End file.
